Selkirk Regeneration
Supporting Scottish Borders households to stay safe and warm at home
Our project at a glance
- Strategic priority area: Targeting geographic communities most at risk of fuel poverty
- Support target: 1,520 households over 18 months
- Duration: September 2024 to March 2026
- Investment: £117,257 over 18 months
- Forecast SROI: £3.13
I thank you a million times for your help, for your patience, understanding of my situation and support at every step. Without your help, I would not have been able to negotiate with my energy supplier and I did not understand anything at all about the payment scheme. You helped me register, figure out the bill, the payment option, and finally everything is fine with my electricity payments. Also grateful for the savings tips and constant support. I couldn't even dream of such support.
Sustainable Borders beneficiary
Why we’re working together
Fuel poverty is often higher in rural areas, due to the type of housing and heating systems as well as the low-wage economy.
In the Scottish Borders, there are nine neighbourhoods with high levels of income deprivation that all fall within the 29% data zone in the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. This means these neighbourhoods are some of the most deprived areas in the country.
Selkirk Regeneration is a community-based charity delivering an established energy advice service for households in the Scottish Borders. Through its Sustainable Selkirk project, the charity provides residents with much-needed support from its Community Energy Advice Centre, at community events and through home visits.
Demand for energy and income-related support is steadily increasing, and the charity is unlikely to be able to continue to meet the needs of the Selkirk and wider Scottish Borders community alone. By partnering with Selkirk Regeneration, we’re able to broaden its existing energy advice service to support households across the Borders to stay safe and warm at home under an expanded Sustainable Borders programme.
Project objectives
- Providing tailored, in-depth energy advice and support to Selkirk households in or at risk of fuel poverty
- Raising awareness of the Priority Services Register and supporting households to sign up
- Raising awareness of carbon monoxide and providing free CO alarms for households most in need
- Further enhancing household wellbeing through onward referrals for additional energy efficiency measures, income maximation and debt alleviation.
How we’re working together
One-to-one energy advice
Through in-depth home energy audits, the Sustainable Borders team works with households at risk of fuel poverty to identify ways to heat their home safely and more affordably. This includes promoting awareness of energy efficiency measures, helping households understand their heating controls and demystifying energy bills.
The Sustainable Borders team is providing this support in person at its Community Energy Advice Centre in Selkirk, remotely through telephone calls and by attending community groups and events across the Borders.
We’re also proactively signposting vulnerable households to other relevant support organisations, such as Citizens Advice Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, for help with energy efficiency grants and schemes, income maximisation and fire safety checks.
How to get involved
Accessing support from Sustainable Borders
As one of our VCMA network partners, you can refer residents in the Scottish Borders for support from the programme by emailing info@sustainableborders.org.uk.
If you live in the Scottish Borders need help to stay safe and warm at home, you can find advice on the Sustainable Selkirk website or visit the team at the Community Energy Advice Centre in Tower Street, Selkirk.
Becoming a Sustainable Borders partner
You can find out more about partnering with Selkirk Regeneration by emailing Angela MacKellar, Project Coordinator at Sustainable Borders at angela@sustainableborders.org.uk.
We’re excited to be partnering with SGN to support vulnerable households across the Scottish Borders. Through community outreach sessions and one-to-one advice, we are helping households stay safe and warm.